When I first met my husband, I wasn’t attracted to him at all. He was nearly ten years older than me and sported a full beard. 

And when he began pursuing me, I hid – literally.

I was working with our campus newspaper back then and my husband knew just when and where I spent the bulk of my time. So often, he would show up while on some “errand” or another for his job.

 I remember seeing the back of him in the hallway one day and decided to act fast and lose him, knowing that sooner or later he’d show up in my office for a “visit.”

And so I hightailed it down a back corridor and onto a secluded balcony where students and newspaper staff were busy on the computers.

Phew … I would be safe hidden back there until he left the building.

Or, so I thought. ...

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By Debra Torres
Claudia said she didn’t take Joyce’s stuffed animal. 

It wasn’t hers, so what would she have to do with it? 

Again and again she denied that she took it, but when we challenged her to open her square, metal lunchbox, 



I’m sure we probably gasped at what was inside.

Joyce’s toy.

It was 1973 and I was in second grade. And even though I was only 7, I can still see the tormented look on Claudia’s face when her peers caught her in the act.

A lying tongue cuts both ways.

In my devotions this morning, I read that we are responsible to teach our children about lying and why it is wrong. And it also said that we should use God’s Word to do it.

This challenged me to do a little digging, because you know what? As parents and grandparents, I think we often do a disservice to the young ones who are watching us. Can you guess what it is?

We Lie.

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The little Indigo Bunting looked half dead as it lay on the flagstones in front of our house.

This wasn’t the first time a bird had hit one of our windows and, knowing the drill, my daughters and I rushed to the rescue. 

With three barn cats claiming our property as their hunting grounds, we knew that the little stunned bird didn’t stand a chance if spotted.

I found our old birdcage and with the help of my girls, we laid “Chester” on top of some newspapers inside.

Usually a stunned bird will take a few minutes to recover, and I could tell that Chester was about ready to be released when I heard a series of chirps coming from the cage and he began to flutter around.

I was just about to bring the cage outside when Chester did a surprising thing. 

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By Debra Torres
I walked into the gift shop a bit unsure about my purchase. I wanted to buy a small gift for a friend who was retiring, but I wasn’t sure which direction to take with my selection.

You see, even though my friend was retiring after 25 years of service in a successful career as a college professor, I knew she wasn’t done. 

She saw her retirement as a jumping off point into the next chapter of life that God had for her. And as I listened to some of her ideas of where God might be leading her – I sensed a mounting excitement.

My friend was ready to use the gifts, talents and years of experience that God had given her to now help others.

No, she wasn’t done with her life. ...


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